Life Without You
by suddenlysalad
Summary: once returning to the castle, eugene is immediately taken to jail, awaiting his sentence. he gets his sentencing and there's not much rapunzel can do about, nor can she save him from his chosen fate. but this turn of event takes a deathly toll on rapunzel
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this is a **very, very** dark themed story. read at your own risk. this is also on my dA so don't be surprised if you've read it before.

disclaimer: i don't own tangled.

xxxx

No. This wasn't supposed to be how it was going to happen. It was suppose to be the perfect ending. A happily ever after. But no. In fact, this was the complete opposite of what was happening. After being so thankfully reunited with her parents, the man she cared about was now being dragged away from her, back to prison. Despite the young girl's pleas and tears running down her face, they took him away. Away from her. It was hardly fair. Her newly found parents tried to giver her consoling words, but she wasn't going to listen to it. Instead, she found herself bolting from the balcony she was on, running. Trying to follow the guards who had taken her thief away from her.

But she was unsuccessful as the princess now found herself lost in the winding hallways. Giving up, she leaned against the wall, sliding down on the floor in defeat. She brought her legs up to her chest, hiding her face as more tears threatened to escape. She wanted nothing more then to hear the soothing words of her thief. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. And that thought brought more grief to her.

The princess didn't hear the approaching footsteps of her frantic parents. She only noticed them next to her when there was a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up, hoping to see her thief, but alas, it wasn't. She looked up at her mother before turning her attention back to the ground. The next words she heard wasn't thing she wanted too.

He was to be put on trail tomorrow.

Luckily enough, the princess was allowed to attend. Hopefully she would be able to get a word in about it. Hopefully she would be able to convince him that he's changed. But it was only hope. Her parents were allowing one visit before the day was over. With those words, the Princess sprinted from where she was sitting, quickly running out to where the prisons were.

The guards let her pass through, instructing on where he was being held. She ignored all the other stares from the other prisoners before finally reaching his cell. After having his door open, she ran into his arms, letting out a strangled sob. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closely.

"Rapunzel. What are you doing down here?" He asked, running a hand through her hair. Rapunzel pulled back a little, only giving him a teary, somewhat forced, smile. He moved his hand to cup her cheeks, wiping off the tears running down her face.

"Eugene." She choked out, pulling back into a hug. Rapunzel buried her face into his chest as she clutched tightly to his vest. She didn't want to let go. Eugene looked down at her, frowning. He hated seeing her so distraught and upset, but there wasn't much he could do about it, "You're going to be on trial tomorrow." She muttered, figuring he would have already known. Eugene let out a sigh, pulling her closer,

"I know, Blondie. We'll just hope for the best." Eugene replied. That seemed to calm Rapunzel down a bit, "Plus. No need to be sad about it. Everything will turn out for the best." He added, giving her a reassuring smile. Rapunzel didn't look convinced.

"But what if they decided to hang you?" She asked, horrified by the thought. Rapunzel had lost him once and she didn't want to loose him again. Eugene looked down at her, not wanting to think about that. It was the last thing he wanted to think about it.

"Well then that's what they choose." He replied. Eugene pushed a few strands of hair from her face, behind her ear, "We'll find out tomorrow, Blondie. But for now, I'm still here." Rapunzel gave him a nod and a more assuring smile then she had before. She stood up on the tips of her toes, giving Eugene a quick peck on the lips. He pulled her closer to deepen the kiss before she had to go.

Rapunzel walked out of the cell, giving a small wave before scurrying out back to the castle. The rest of the night passed by rather slow as Rapunzel had kept quiet most of the night. Once she was dismissed to leave to bed, she quickly ran back to her room, scared of the outcome for tomorrow. She had trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep for that matter. Nightmares plagued her mind, terrified for tomorrow. They couldn't take Eugene from her. She wouldn't let them do that. Rapunzel was determined to let them know that. But soon enough, she fell asleep, finally staying quiet for the night.

xxxx

Rapunzel awoke to the maids in her room, helping her get prepared for the trial today. She was dreaded it more and more as the time was rapidly approaching. She was dressed in a simple green dress, a few shades lighter then her eye colour. Her hair stayed in the same fashion, sticking out from every angle as her crown was placed upon her head. Rapunzel was escorted to the throne room where her mother and father had already taken their seats. A good number of council members sat in chairs, close to theirs. Rapunzel had walked up, taking a seat next to her parents. She felt sick to her stomach as they called to bring forth the guilty.

Eugene didn't look much different from when she saw him yesterday. He looked a bit tired, but other then that, he looked fine. Rapunzel kept her eyes on him, as he did the same to her. She blocked out most of what they were discussing, not really wanting to hear what they had to say. But then there were the dreaded words.

"Flynn Rider is found guilty of his crimes and set to be hanged at sunset tomorrow." One of the council members had declared. Rapunzel immediately bolted up, causing a few shocked expressions from some of the council members, including the one who declared his fate, "Excuse me, Princess. Is there an issue?" He added, sounding rather snarky about it.

"You can't do that!" She stuttered out, clearly upset. Eugene looked over at her, trying to give her a comforting a smile, but she immediately ran over to him, causing even more shocked expressions. Tears welled within her eyes, trying to hold them back, "Please. I need him."

"I'm sorry, Princess. But what's done is done. You two may spend the day with each other but that is all I can do." The council man replied, obviously not very sympathetic. With that, the guards unlocked the shackles holding Eugene as Rapunzel threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her before breaking off.

"Come on, Rapunzel. Let's go take a walk." Eugene muttered to her. Rapunzel only shook her head before taking his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. The couple walked out to the gardens, glad to be out of there. Eugene guided her over to a secluded area of the gardens, taking a spot under a tree, inviting her to take a seat on his lap. She obliged before hiding her face into his chest, crying once more. Eugene just held onto her, letting her release all the emotion out. It wasn't what he wanted but he deserved it.

After a few more minutes, Rapunzel's sobs soon turned into soft hiccups as she looked up at him, "You can't leave me! I lost you once already. I can't do it again." She said quietly, turning her attention back to the ground. Eugene put his hand under her chin, lifting her face up to look at him.

"It's what I deserve, Blondie. But will you promise me something?" Eugene asked. Rapunzel just gave a nod for a moment; waiting for him to continue, "Never forget me, alright? I'll always be here. And I will always love you. And will you live a happy life, for me?"

"I don't know if I can do that." She muttered, looking defeated, "I don't know if I can live without you. I need you, Eugene." Eugene looked at her, frowning a bit.

"You'll have to live your life without me, Blondie. You deserve to be happy." He replied.

"But how am I suppose to be happy without you?" Rapunzel asked, stubbornly. Eugene didn't have an answer for that, now looking defeated himself. He just held her tighter, not saying a word.

The couple spent their day with each other, Rapunzel refusing to let go of him. They spent the day doing various activities, things that reminded them of their first days together. And finally the sun had set and it was time for Eugene to go back. Rapunzel and Eugene stood in each other's arms for a few minutes before Eugene bent down, giving her his last kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down farther. They pulled back a bit, letting their lips linger against each other. Eugene removed the satchel he was carrying before handing it over to Rapunzel. She took it before letting out more tears again.

"I love you, Rapunzel."

"And I love you too, Eugene."

With that, they gave each other one last kiss before parting ways. Rapunzel headed off to meet her parents, as she was grief-stricken. They informed her that she had to be in attendance of his hanging. That was the last thing she wanted to see. Rapunzel didn't want to see Eugene die, again. And this time, there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Instead of attending dinner, Rapunzel made a mad dash to her room, closing the door behind her before collapsing on the bed. She held the satchel closer to her, closing her eyes as a familiar tune came from her lips. Soon enough, she fell into an uncomfortable sleep, petrified of what tomorrow was going to bring.

xxxx

She was awoke too in the same fashion as she was previously. Rapunzel had a frown on her face, her stomach was aching and she didn't feel very good in general. They had made her wear something a little more fancier then earlier. It was sickening. After being dressed, Rapunzel was to help tend to more business for tonight's activity. It was a long day and Rapunzel was not her normal, bubbly self. And no one could change that unless it was removing the sentence to Eugene. But everyone knew that was not going to happen.

The time had finally arrived. The King and Queen, along with Rapunzel, where escorted to the area where the event was to take place. They were placed right in front of the gallows. There was a multitude of townspeople, anxious to see Rider finally have his fate. A few guards brought Eugene out, he looked towards the ground, dreading what was ahead of him. He looked up, instantly regretting it. And there was Rapunzel. He stared at her. Eyes, red and irritated from crying but it didn't make her any less beautiful. But they had made her come to his hanging. Why would they put her through this? The couple made eye contact before more tears ran down Rapunzel's face.

The guard pushed Eugene closer to noose. They had placed a black sack over the thief's head, now obstructing his view. The noose was placed around his neck, the knot tightened. More tears continued to run down Rapunzel's face while watching at this. The guard placed his hand on the lever, pulling it as the thief fell to his fate. A loud snap was heard throughout the dead silence as Rapunzel let out a horrified scream, quickly get up, running over to the , now, corpse of Eugene Fitzherbert. She immediately fell to her knees, letting out strangled sobs, hiding her face.

The best thing that had ever happened to her was now taken from her.

xxxx

A few weeks had passed since the death of Eugene. Rapunzel was no longer happy. She kept her eyes to the ground as she slowly made her way around the castle. She no longer had that happy vibe to her. Or that bounce in her step. Everything was all wrong. Many futile attempts were made to cheer her up, but nothing worked.

One evening after dinner, Rapunzel was in her nightgown, staring blankly out the window. She didn't notice the cold chill coming through the window or that Pascal was no longer normally with her. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Rapunzel shifted as she headed over to her bed, getting ready for another nightmarish sleep. That's when she saw it. His old satchel he had given her when they had their last time together. Rapunzel picked it up, hastily digging through it. Until she found it. The same mirror shard that Eugene had used to cut her hair.

She touched one of the edges, quickly pulling back after being cut by the shard. Oddly, she didn't feel much of the pain of it. Then a thought struck her. But was it worth it? Rapunzel knew she wasn't the same since Eugene had died. What was the point of living life if it was going to be in pain? Rapunzel didn't like the empty, hollow feeling she had. She wanted all the pain to go away. Rapunzel wanted to be with Eugene again.

And that was the very night she decided to end her own life.


	2. The Morning After

The maids had awoken to help the Princess get ready for her day. The two of the maids had made their rounds around until heading back to the Princess' room. One of the maids had opened to door, while the other headed inside. The next thing heard was a blood curling scream and the maids frantically rushing out to seek the Queen and the King. They had arrived quickly to the study that both of them were in and gave a quick description on what they had seen. Instantly, tears started welling in the Queen's eyes, not wanting to believe what was being told, and the same went for her husband.

The royal couple bolted from their seats, hurriedly running through the corridors until they arrived at their daughter's room. The Queen hurried in, immediately distraught at the scene before her. There was her daughter. On the floor. A small pool of dried blood was centered around her abdomen. Her hands were also covered in blood as she was holding a small mirror shard, stained with the dark red. The Queen fell to her knees next to the corpse of her daughter. She cradled the lifeless body, which was now stone cold. Tears ran down the Queen's face as the King was at her side, sharing the same pain as she was.

It came as a shock to know their daughter had taken her life. Their sweet, little Rapunzel was no more. It was painful. She had just returned to them and now she had taken herself away. They could have avoided this, and the Queen knew this. They should have fought harder to keep Mr. Fitzherbert around. They should have bfought/b. But none of that mattered anymore. It was too late and now, they were never going to see their little girl again. The last memory of her was her being in utter depression.

The Queen let out a painful sob, looking down at her lifeless daughter once more. At least it brought her a little peace knowing she would be reunited with her loving thief. The Queen averted her gaze towards the King, who also had tears streaming down his face. She tried so hard to give him a comforting smile. It was so hard. He just nodded before standing up. Both of them knew a funeral had to be held. Preparations had to begin soon and fast.

The royal couple had ordered one of the guards to announce a meeting for the townspeople to hear. They had the right to know what had taken place. The Queen set down Rapunzel's body on the bed, giving her forehead one last kiss. At least she finally looked at peace.

Once many of the townspeople had conglomerated into the area underneath the balcony, looking up with worry in their eyes. What could be so sudden or troublesome to call a meeting as to this? But quickly, their questions had been answered once the King and Queen had explained the situation going on. Everyone was heartbroken by the news. Their princess had left them once again.

Some were feeling guilty about being in attendance of the hanging of the thief. That they had supported the council's decision, unknowing of the effect it caused on the princess. But it was simply too late.

And everyone knew that.

The funeral for the Princess had been set to take place tomorrow. It was surely going to be a sorrowful event but necessary. Everyone had loved the Princess despite her recent choice to no longer stay on this Earth.

xxxx

Dying wasn't the experience the Princess had anticipated. Though once committing her crime, she felt, free. In a sense. Thought Gothel had always shot down her thoughts of a life after death, Rapunzel always knew there was something more. And it was not what she had quite expected. Her main concern was if she was truly going to see Eugene again. Even if it was for a few moments, it was better then nothing. Rapunzel knew she committed a crime but still. All Rapunzel wanted was one moment with him.

There were many other souls roaming in the place she had been in. Though Rapunzel did not know of this place she was in, she was determined to find her. After what seemed like forever of searching for her thief, she had finally found him. He looked gorgeous, angelic. And she was with him again. Rapunzel found herself running to her former thief.

All she wanted was to touch him again. Feeling his comforting arms around her, hear his loving voice. It came as a shock when she hastily wrapped her arms around him. Eugene turned around, extremely surprised to see his Princess standing before him. He was at a lost of words. A million questions ran throughout his head.

Why was she her?

Was this some kind of cruel trick?

Was it really her?

His beautiful Rapunzel was right before him, in the strange place neither of them new about. And he could feel her around him. The warmth of her skin. Everything. Eugene enthusiastically held her tighter. He pulled back and frowned once something crossed his mind.

"Rapunzel." He breathed, marveling at her name, glad he was able to speak of it again, "Why are you here? Is it really you?" Eugene asked, hoping it was actually her. Rapunzel gave him a small smile before avoiding his eyes, "Blondie?" He was worried. How could she have died? Maybe some assassination? Coming down with a sudden, fatal illness? All the possibilities.

"Eugene. It's really me." She replied, giving him a sheepish smile. Rapunzel was afraid to tell him of how she ended up here. She made a promise to live a happy life without him. But it wasn't really breaking it if she wasn't happy, right? Rapunzel looked back up at him, "I did it to myself, Eugene. I-I couldn't do it without you. I tried iso/i hard to try and be happy. Then one night, I found the satchel you gave me and then I came across the mirror shard. I simply did without thinking." She explained.

Eugene looked at her with disbelief. She had taken her life, just to be with him again? But then again, Eugene wasn't sure if their afterlife could be spent with each other. A part of him very much hoped for, or her death would be in vain. Eugene said the first thing that came to mind, "I love you, Rapunzel. I love you so much." He muttered, pulling her back into a loving embrace.

"I love you too, Eugene. I'm just so glad to see you again." Rapunzel muttered back, pulling him down for a quick kiss. Things were beginning to look hopeful for the couple despite being both spirits.

xxxx

Though thing weren't shining happier for the people of the Kingdom of Corona. The next day had come as the funeral of the Princess had began. The air was heavy with sorrow and grief. Everyone gave their regards to the Queen and King as the procession came to an end. Their daughter was buried within the Royal grounds, along with other royal families that were deceased.

They watched painfully as their daughter was lowered into the ground. Never to be seen again. Their once lost daughter had returned to them, now only to be lost once more. Not by a vile old woman. But by the pain of a heartbreak. No one was would ever truly understand the motives of the Princess and her decision to take her life. But they would all miss and mourn their lost princess. Keeping forever in their hearts and never forgetting.


End file.
